Today was absolutely beautiful.  It started out overcast, but by the afternoon it was sunny and downright warm.  I rode my bike to the Tulane Family Health Center to have my shoulder checked out–sure, it’s a bike injury, but there’s no way I’m driving on a day like today.  I wasn’t dressed for it, however.  I’m still not used to this summertime in December business.  When I got to the doctor’s office, I found it rather difficult to get to the door.  Normally I’d take the stairs where this escalator is going in.  I’ve never actually seen an escalator with its clothes off, so this was quite a sight.  A giant crane was lifting it by what look here like two straps on either end.  It was clanging against the building as multiple workers–and myself–looked on.  The machines we use every day usually work by themselves such that we don’t even notice them.  But today I saw the trouble behind this one.  I asked a number of people how to get where I was going.  Because the apparatus that takes me there was suddenly missing.  Turns out you just take the stairs and walk around till you get to the entrance.  I’m looking forward to riding this escalator next time, even though now that I’ve seen its innards, I know it’s not just magic.  And I prefer to let things like escalators, airplanes, and television retain their mystery.  In New Orleans, something’s always being rebuilt, so we find our mystery elsewhere.

My shoulder, by the way, is fine.